


in the low light

by celestialfics



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 13:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15864141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialfics/pseuds/celestialfics
Summary: It’s late by the time the front door squeaks open, waking Bucky from his shallow, accidental slumber on the couch.





	in the low light

**Author's Note:**

> jghfd this is just mindless fluff to distract me from starting college this week. pls enjoy!
> 
> title from "come under the covers" by walk the moon <3

It’s late by the time the front door squeaks open, waking Bucky from his shallow, accidental slumber on the couch. The television hums on a low volume and from down the hall, Bucky can hear Steve kicking off his shoes.

“Buck?” he calls, walking down the hall to peer into the living room as he peels off his gloves. “I’m home.”

Bucky makes some kind of incoherent grunt instead of saying words, because he’s more tired than he thought. It makes Steve chuckle, anyway.

Steve shrugs off his coat and tosses it onto the back of a chair, rolling his shoulders and then looking back over to Bucky. He’s wearing a suit and he tugs at the knot in the tie. There’s snow in his hair but it’s melting quickly. “Why aren’t you in bed?” he inquires.

“Was waitin’ up for you,” Bucky responds, lifting a hand to rub at one of his eyes. “What time is it?”

“Around two,” he answers, leaning on the couch armrest near Bucky’s head. “I told you not to wait up, didn’t I?”

Bucky hums blearily, his eyelids drooping.

“Always been a bit stubborn,” Steve comments with a smile, his hand drifting down to comb through Bucky’s hair, which splays against a throw pillow.

“Not as stubborn as you,” Bucky retorts, voice still heavy with sleep.

“Maybe that’s true.” Steve laughs—a breathy, familiar thing. Bucky’s eyes flicker upwards to catch the slight grin that tugs at Steve’s mouth. “It went longer than I’d expected, though. And I wished you’d been there,” Steve admits, brushing stray hairs out of Bucky’s face and tucking them behind his ear.

“Forever the charmer, Rogers,” Bucky mumbles, closing his eyes at the feather-light touch of Steve’s fingertips against the sides of his face. “You know that big, fancy galas like that aren’t…”

“I know,” Steve says, “I’m still allowed to miss you.”

Bucky smiles. “I don’t know about that.”

“Well, I do.” Steve pauses, pulling away for a moment. Bucky’s eyes flit open to watch him. “Let’s get you to bed,” he says, and suddenly he’s securing his arms beneath Bucky’s shoulders and legs and lifting him off the couch.

If he were less tired maybe he’d have it in him to whine about being maneuvered like this, but he knows his weight is nothing to Steve and he’d be a liar to say he didn’t enjoy it a little. So, he swings his arm around the back of Steve’s shoulders and plants a kiss to the side of Steve’s neck. 

“You know,” Steve comments, nudging the bedroom door open with his foot, “You’re pretty damn cute when you’re sleepy.”

Bucky hums lowly in response, and then murmurs, “I don’t think anyone but you ever thinks I’m  _cute_.”

Steve clicks his tongue to the top of his mouth and lays Bucky down onto the bed. “They think you’re handsome, though.”

“Do you?” Bucky asks absently, even though he knows the answer.

“More than any of them,” Steve replies surely, leaning down to plant a kiss on Bucky’s mouth before backing away to take off his suit. Bucky’s eyes linger on Steve as he slides off his suit coat and then begins to unbutton his undershirt.

There’s a slight lull in the conversation then, only the sound of rustling clothing filling the room, until Bucky asks, “Did you have fun?”

Steve glances back over his now bare shoulder and he says, “Yeah, Sam always makes stuff like that fun.”

Bucky snorts. “‘Course he does.”

“Put a few drinks in him and he’s chattin’ up just about everyone in the room,” Steve chuckles, and then he steps out of the room and into the bathroom.

Bucky rolls onto his side, lets out a yawn, and muffles it with his metal hand.

Steve slips into the bed beside him a few minutes later, his chest pressing to Bucky's back and arm snaking around his torso. The tip of his nose is still cold from being outside when it presses to the back of Bucky's neck, so Bucky reels away and chuckles deeply. He flips himself over so he faces Steve.   
"Your nose is freezing," he states, “Is it really that cold out?”

“Mhm,” Steve replies noncommittally, his focus obviously split between replying to Bucky and drinking in the sight of him like this, cheek pressed against the pillow and eyes half lidded. “It’s a blizzard out there.”

“Hm,” Bucky hums lowly, lifting his flesh hand to cup Steve's nose. "I'll warm it up for you."  
   
Steve smiles but Bucky can only tell because of the way the corners of his eyes crinkle, since his wrist is covering Steve's mouth.   
  
"No one would believe me if I told them half the stuff you do with me," Steve murmurs, tilting his head slightly to press his lips to the inside of Bucky's wrist.   
  
Bucky exhales softly, "Well, don't tell."   
  
Steve lets out an amused huff. "Wasn't really planning on it."   
  
"Good," Bucky says, moving his hand and planting a kiss to the tip of Steve's nose, "because this,”—another kiss, to his mouth—“is just for you."   
  
Steve has always blushed easily, and now is no exception. "And you say I'm the charmer," he mutters, small grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. Bucky kisses one of these upturned corners softly.   
  
"I'm charmed," Bucky replies, pulling slightly away. Steve's eyes dance across his face. There's a lamp on the bedside table on Steve's side, and it's the only thing lighting the room besides faint moonlight through the window. Shadows fall across Steve's face, but the golden light behind him illuminates the edges of his silhouette.   
  
They're quiet for a few passing moments, and Bucky feels sleep tugging again at his eyelids. Steve watches intently as Bucky's eyes droop closed and then flicker back open when he notices he's falling asleep, and Steve grins fondly before flipping over to turn off the bedside lamp.

Bucky thinks ever so faintly back to their early years in the ‘30s, before everything. They were young and clueless and their bed was the only place they could ever truly let down their guard. After that was taken from him, he missed it more than he ever really knew. More than he could comprehend.   
  
"Go to sleep, Buck," Steve murmurs, returning to his prior position with his arm draped over Bucky's torso. He leans closer to press a kiss to Bucky's forehead and then settles back, his hand wandering to the top of Bucky's head, fingers carding slowly through his thick hair. It's beyond easy to fall asleep like this, and Bucky will never take that for granted.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/liquidsaints) & [tumblr](http://liquidsaints.tumblr.com/)
> 
> thanks for reading! <3


End file.
